People in Business, Feb. 4

Keri Marino has joined the Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Board of Directors, announced Julia Quinlan, co-founder and president of the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.

Marino is currently vice president of business development with Sussex Bank, responsible for increasing and maintaining client growth and relationships.

"My appointment to the Memorial Board at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is a great honor. I have always admired Julia Quinlan's incredible strength and purpose and am delighted to be able to continue my involvement with the hospice by serving on the Memorial Board," Marino said.

Marino most recently served on the Karen Ann Quinlan Charitable Board from 2015 to 2018. She was a member the DASI (Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Intervention Services Inc.) board from 2008 to 2016 and served as the board president from 2014 to 2016.

Her community involvement includes being chairperson of the Franklin Recreation Commission and a member of CLAWS, a non-kill cat shelter.

Marino, also a certified yoga instructor, has been a resident of Sussex County since 1996.

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Margaret Laquidara has joined Sussex Investment Services, located at Sussex Bank in Oradell, as an Investment Professionals Inc. (IPI) financial consultant.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Margaret to Sussex Bank. As a seasoned consultant with more than 25 years of industry experience, we look forward to the knowledge she will bring to our wealth management customers," said Vito Giannola, executive vice president of Sussex Bank.

"I appreciate the opportunity to work with the entire team at Sussex Investment Services. I will work with customers to identify retirement goals, create and implement comprehensive investment strategies and provide ongoing assessment of wealth management needs including retirement planning, college savings plans and insurance solutions," Laquidara said.

A New Jersey native, Laquidara holds a number of professional licenses including a FINRA Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative), Series 7 (General Securities Representative), and Series 63 (Uniform Investment Securities Agent State Law) license.

She has been continually recognized for her strong service and commitment to clients, most recently at Lakeland Bank.

Laquidara joined Sussex Investment Services through a strategic partnership the bank has with Investment Professionals Inc. IPI is a Texas-based financial planning and asset management firm, which specializes in working on the premise of community banks to assist customers with their financial future.

Sussex Bancorp is the holding company for Sussex Bank, which is headquartered in Rockaway and operates regionally with 14 branches throughout Bergen, Morris and Sussex counties and in Astoria, N.Y., and has loan production offices in Rockaway, Wantage, Oradell, Rochelle Park, N.Y., and Astoria, N.Y. Sussex also offers a full-service insurance agency, Tri-State Insurance Agency Inc. in its Augusta and Oradell branches.

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Laura Mazzella has joined the Weichert, Realtors' Sparta office as the newest member of sales team, announced Andrew Milling, manager.

"I am happy to welcome Laura to the Sparta office and the Weichert family," Milling said. "Her patience, understanding and communications skills are just a few of the attributes that benefit her clients."

Mazzella joins Weichert with a background in special education teaching autistic children. She has also been teaching fitness and yoga classes for 12 years, and practicing meditation for 20 years. The interpersonal skills and discipline honed through these endeavors serve her well in the real estate industry.

"I love meeting and working with people," Mazzella said. "There's a home for everyone, and I work diligently to find that perfect match for my clients."

A resident of Sparta since 1995, Mazzella has been married for 22 years and has three children.

Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors has grown from a single office into one of the nation's leading providers of homeownership services by putting its customers first.

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Thomas J. Shara, president and CEO of Lakeland Bank, announces the following appointments:

Anthony Penta has been hired as senior vice president, team leader, based in Iselin. Joining Lakeland with more than 28 years of industry experience, he was previously with Santander Bank N.A. (formerly Sovereign Bank) since 1994 where he advanced his career and was most recently a senior vice president, market manager.

Patricia Tostanoski has been hired as vice president, relationship manager, for the Hudson Valley Lending Team, based in Highland Mills, N.Y. Joining Lakeland with 30 years of industry experience, Tostanoski was most recently a bookkeeper with a small private accounting firm in Spring Valley, N.Y.